Wrestling 1998, The Year That Was

Vince McMahon fired Steve Austin in the WWF storyline, Flair was fired period by WCW boss Eric Bischoff, and ECW faced massive departures, all stories that headlined the wrestling world in 1998.

McMahon, largely booed after the double cross of Bret Hart, lived up to his new persona and became the heel owner in the WWF. Vince went out of his way to keep Austin and the WWF title apart, since the “rattlesnake” would not become Mr. McMahon’s “corporate champion.”

Ric Flair claims he notified the WCW that he was planning to skip a Thunder show that was planned to reunite the Horsemen, in favor of watching his nine year old son Reed wrestle in the finals of tournament in Pontiac, Michigan. Bischoff, denying Flair’s claim, fired him.

Despite Nash’s no show at Starrcade 1997, and Hall’s frequent trips to rehab, Flair was made the example. After months of legal battles, the two sides settled, and “the Nature Boy” finally returned to WCW some six months after his dismissal. With the success of Austin v. McMahon, it was only natural Flair and Bischoff would feud. Flair gained control of WCW for ninety days when he defeated Bischoff one night after losing a match to “Easy E” at Starrcade.

The much hyped “Wrestling With Shadows” movie featuring Bret Hart’s final days in the WWF, and scenes from the Montreal double cross finally debuted in Canada in November, and on American airwaves a month later.

The film featured a closed-door conversation between Hart and McMahon, with Bret being wired without McMahon’s knowledge as they discuss the outcome of the Survivor Series match. Some insiders claim the film actually is more evidence that the “double cross” was in essence the greatest work in wrestling history. McMahon and Hart both gained substantially as a result; Hart signed a nine million dollar contract with WCW, and McMahon’s WWF returned to being the number wrestling promotion in the world.

Former pro wrestler and color analysis Jesse “The Body” Ventura won the Minnesota Gubernatorial race. Ventura shocked Norm Coleman, Mayor of St. Paul, and Democratic Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III when a sixty one percent turn out at the polls earned “The Body” thirty seven per cent of the votes, enough to claim victory. Since Ventura has retired from wrestling, he now wants to be known as Jesse “the Mind” Ventura.

The shinning bright star known as Hulk Hogan greatly declined in 1998. Hogan lost the WCW title to Goldberg, and could not generate huge pay-per-view buy rates for much hyped matches involving Karl Malone, Dennis Rodman, Jay Leno, and of course, the rematch with The (Ultimate) Warrior.

Hogan announced his retirement of the Thanksgiving night edition of the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. He expressed a desire to continue his campaign to run for president in the 2000 election, but came off timid and even clueless on political questions asked by Leno.

The Fox Network contacted Hogan about starting a rival wrestling promotion, but when Hogan demanded a guaranteed ten million dollars, the network backed away. Hogan will most likely be apart of the NBC/WCW special that airs Sunday, February 14th, head to head with the WWF’s St. Valentine’s Massacre pay-per-view.

Speaking of NBC, they aired “Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Secrets Revealed” twice in 1998. The show failed to expose anything that true pro wrestling fans did not all ready know, and even made some outdated references.

In 1998, the WWF continued with a more sexual tone. Sable wore only images of a hands to cover her exposed chest in the Fully Loaded “bikini contest.” Jacquelyn exposed herself twice on pay-per-view, and once on Raw. Debra McMichael came within seconds of removing her top at Rock Bottom. In addition, the WWF has implied same sex relations; Terri Runnels and Jacquelyn, Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor of the team Too Much.

Paul Heyman faced a depicting roster in 1998. He had already lost Raven, Saturn, Louie Spicolli, and Stevie Richards to the rival company in Atlanta, and then lost Sandman, Bam Bam Bigelow, Chasity, and Mikey Whipwreck to WCW, and the Blue Meanie to the WWF.

Thunder debuted in January, and showed potential of being a strong number two show to the superior Nitro program. With the program frequently pre-empted, or moved to a different night, it was hard to establish the show. One of the scariest moments occurred on Thunder when Buff Bagwell lay motionless on the mat after a collision with Rick Steiner. Fortunately, Buff is expected to make a full recovery, including returning to action in late January.

Other highlights in 1998 include Austin winning the WWF title at Wrestlemania, the reformation of the Four Horsemen, Sean Waltman (X-Pac) returning to the WWF, and shooting on Bischoff, and Mankind being tossed from the top of a sixteen foot high steel cage, only to continue the match and being thrown through the top of the structure.

In 1998, the wrestling community lost Sylvester Ritter, known to millions as the “Junkyard Dog,” Bobo Brazil, Louie Spicolli, Terry Garvin, Pedro Martinez, Larry Doyle, Sam Muchnick, and Giant Haystacks.

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